People choose whether or not to participate in arts and cultural activities for many varied and legitimate reasons. To build a strong community, we must respect them if they refuse to join in, writes Francois Matarasso.
People get involved in a participatory art project for much the same reasons that any of us decide what to do with our free time. They might be motivated, more or less consciously, by curiosity, friendship, boredom, hope, frustration, enthusiasm or many other feelings. They might want to have fun, feel part of a community, learn something, protest, get a sense of achievement, have a new experience, face a challenge, make a change, get fit, meet people or do something that seems worthwhile. There is nothing particularly special about the decision to participate in art– it’s the decision to participate at all that matters.
Nor is there anything special about refusing participation... Keep reading on Arestless Art
People get involved in a participatory art project for much the same reasons that any of us decide what to do with our free time. They might be motivated, more or less consciously, by curiosity, friendship, boredom, hope, frustration, enthusiasm or many other feelings. They might want to have fun, feel part of a community, learn something, protest, get a sense of achievement, have a new experience, face a challenge, make a change, get fit, meet people or do something that seems worthwhile. There is nothing particularly special about the decision to participate in art– it’s the decision to participate at all that matters.
Nor is there anything special about refusing participation... Keep reading on Arestless Art